Organosilanes have been marketed successfully as automotive air conditioning (A/C) system sealants for several years. Their use is targeted at small pinhole leaks that develop over time, allowing escape of refrigerant. Leaks lead to loss of efficiency for the a/c system as well as undesirable release of refrigerant gas to the environment. The application of these sealants to hermetically sealed systems used in non-automotive a/c systems and in refrigeration systems has been less widespread. In these applications, sealant injection often leads to compressor shutdown due to bearing seizure. At least one sealant manufacturer recommends the use of a “hard-start kit” apparently to overcome this issue.
It is desirable to develop alternative products and methods for the introduction of sealant into air conditioning and refrigeration systems.